A diet is simply what you eat. Everybody follows a diet of some sort. Your diabetic diet is a healthy, well-balanced, and "controlled" way of eating.

Why A "Controlled" Diet?

There are two reasons why your diet must be controlled. First of all, it is better for everyone to be as close to their ideal weight as possible. Being at your ideal weight makes the management of your diabetes easier. If you are overweight, it is often more difficult to control your blood sugar levels. In some diabetics who lose weight, blood sugar levels may return to normal and no medication is needed. There are many other reasons for encouraging people, not only diabetics, to get their weight down: extra weight puts a strain on the heart, can make arthritis worse, and can affect blood pressure. If you are already at a good weight, the diet plan for you will help you stay there. If you need to lose weight, your diet will help you achieve a gradual and sustained loss.

The second reason for a controlled diet is to balance your insulin and exercise level with your food. Food changes in the body and becomes glucose (sugar) in the blood. Your food intake must be controlled so that the blood receives certain amount of glucose at about the same times each day. The medication or insulin you take for your diabetes has definite height and duration of action. Your food must be matched to your medication. Eating about the same amounts of food each day at about the same times each day is very important. You and your dietitian will work together to plan a diet to suit your life style and needs.